Narrative:

After landing we talked to FSS on the field at leesburg and asked about the possibility of continuing on to hef approximately 20 mi away. After about 1 1/2 hours, we were told that a narrow window of VFR was reported at hef, 4500 ft ceiling, 5-10 mi visibility, but dulles was 3 mi 2500 ft and the entire area was to be IFR shortly. Because of this, FSS told us VFR was not recommended. At that time the rain had let up and my passenger and I decided to go up, stay in the pattern and check it out for ourselves. At approximately 800 ft up, it was decided that we could make hef and that we would fly to route 15 and fly 185 degrees just to west of 15 and stay at 1200 ft to avoid the inner ring of the TCA and below the 1500 ft limit of the next ring we were in. After approximately 8 mins, we noticed a widebody transport descending to dulles across our path from 270 degrees, we began to get concerned because it seemed that our direction of flight could take us to a very close intersection of both aircraft at the same altitude. At that time, I realized that we had, in fact, not been to the west of route 15 but had, in fact, followed a road that took us into the inner ring of the TCA and close to iad. I executed a 360 to space our aircraft from the widebody transport and headed west and south. Moments later, we encountered a rather severe wake turbulence from the widebody transport, from which I was able to recover. After a few more mins we spotted the city of manassas, contacted hef tower and was cleared to land. I feel that I made a poor judgement call in deciding to continue the flight in marginal VFR, that probably did not allow me to properly identify route 15 the way I should have. After seeing the path of the widebody transport, I should have also climbed above its wake turbulence, although the ceiling may have been low enough that I may not have had the chance. I feel also that when VFR is not recommended by FSS, that I should not make the flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF AN SMA SINGLE ENG LAND ACFT INADVERTENTLY PENETRATED A TCA DUE TO ATTEMPTING TO REMAIN LOW UNDER A LOWERING OVCST.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG WE TALKED TO FSS ON THE FIELD AT LEESBURG AND ASKED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF CONTINUING ON TO HEF APPROX 20 MI AWAY. AFTER ABOUT 1 1/2 HRS, WE WERE TOLD THAT A NARROW WINDOW OF VFR WAS RPTED AT HEF, 4500 FT CEILING, 5-10 MI VISIBILITY, BUT DULLES WAS 3 MI 2500 FT AND THE ENTIRE AREA WAS TO BE IFR SHORTLY. BECAUSE OF THIS, FSS TOLD US VFR WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. AT THAT TIME THE RAIN HAD LET UP AND MY PAX AND I DECIDED TO GO UP, STAY IN THE PATTERN AND CHK IT OUT FOR OURSELVES. AT APPROX 800 FT UP, IT WAS DECIDED THAT WE COULD MAKE HEF AND THAT WE WOULD FLY TO RTE 15 AND FLY 185 DEGS JUST TO W OF 15 AND STAY AT 1200 FT TO AVOID THE INNER RING OF THE TCA AND BELOW THE 1500 FT LIMIT OF THE NEXT RING WE WERE IN. AFTER APPROX 8 MINS, WE NOTICED A WDB DSNDING TO DULLES ACROSS OUR PATH FROM 270 DEGS, WE BEGAN TO GET CONCERNED BECAUSE IT SEEMED THAT OUR DIRECTION OF FLT COULD TAKE US TO A VERY CLOSE INTXN OF BOTH ACFT AT THE SAME ALT. AT THAT TIME, I REALIZED THAT WE HAD, IN FACT, NOT BEEN TO THE W OF RTE 15 BUT HAD, IN FACT, FOLLOWED A ROAD THAT TOOK US INTO THE INNER RING OF THE TCA AND CLOSE TO IAD. I EXECUTED A 360 TO SPACE OUR ACFT FROM THE WDB AND HEADED W AND S. MOMENTS LATER, WE ENCOUNTERED A RATHER SEVERE WAKE TURB FROM THE WDB, FROM WHICH I WAS ABLE TO RECOVER. AFTER A FEW MORE MINS WE SPOTTED THE CITY OF MANASSAS, CONTACTED HEF TWR AND WAS CLRED TO LAND. I FEEL THAT I MADE A POOR JUDGEMENT CALL IN DECIDING TO CONTINUE THE FLT IN MARGINAL VFR, THAT PROBABLY DID NOT ALLOW ME TO PROPERLY IDENT RTE 15 THE WAY I SHOULD HAVE. AFTER SEEING THE PATH OF THE WDB, I SHOULD HAVE ALSO CLBED ABOVE ITS WAKE TURB, ALTHOUGH THE CEILING MAY HAVE BEEN LOW ENOUGH THAT I MAY NOT HAVE HAD THE CHANCE. I FEEL ALSO THAT WHEN VFR IS NOT RECOMMENDED BY FSS, THAT I SHOULD NOT MAKE THE FLT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.